Using psychosocial interventions in chronic illness: Psychosocial interventions in the treatment of people with serious or long-term mental health problems have proved effective, say Mick Fleming and colleagues in this overview

Psychological approaches have come to prominence because of their effectiveness on people who experience serious and complex mental health problems and their carers. Evidence suggests that these approaches, which include cognitive behaviour therapy, family interventions, early interventions and motivational interventions, can also be successful with people who have long-term physical health conditions. This article also describes a new MSc programme in psychosocial interventions which promotes understanding and practitioners’ skills in these contexts.